The National tribune., 1887-07-21
ON PICKET.
The Varied Adventures OF Some CaTalrymen Down
by the James River

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Early in the
Winter of 1864 Gregg's old division Of cavalry
was in camp in front of Petersburg doing
picket duty from the James River to the Jeru-
salem plank road, where the left Of the in
fantry picket-line ended. The 24th n. Y. Cav.
was doing picket duty down near the James.
and not far from where the Johnnies came and
gobbled up about 2,200 head Of our beef cattle
a few weeks before.
1t was the custom % send about so men from
the reserve outside of the picket post two or
three times a day to see if there were any
rebels in sight, and on one of those occasions
there were a number Of the enemy concealed in
some bushes near a sluice. As the four men in
the advance crossed the sluice the rebels fired
into them with buckshOt. killed three of them
and took their clothes all OFF except their shirts
Word was sent to Gen. Gregg. and he sent Cos.
j and ID Of the 10th n. Y. Cav. to lie in am
bush for two or three nights
Just rs VIC got TO where the 9th Reserve was
they had brought in the three men that had
been killed. They were laid across the backs
of horses with their feet on one side aud their
heads on the other. Some of the 2Ith boys
gave their overcoats to barry them in. When
night came six OF seven of us. with Serg't
Goodell, Of Co. B, were sent outside Of our
pleket-ilne to where path led from the main
road through small piece of woods 70 DIR.
Bryants house. We laid down near the path
and kicked our toes to keep them warm until
about in the morning. We heard the John
nies relieve their pickets, and concluded there
were too many Of them, should they come down
on us.
As the moon was shining brightly, we
thought best not to take the main road ct
first, so We went through the woods to
an open field tina. led to the road. As
We were going IN single fle in the di-
rection OF the road Charles Newell, Of Co.
B, was in advance and myself next 70 him,
when all Of a sudden he pointed his carbine to-
ward the road, and at the same time began to
walk backward. i told him not to shoot, as it
might be some of our own men. The boys be-
hind had all laid down so as 10 not get shot,
and as was not aware Of the fact tumbled
over them. This started general stampede
until one of our cavalry pickets halted Us with,
Who comes there2" AS the picket had on
an old gray blanket to keep himself warm, we
did not know what to tell him, so we concluded
TO say, Friends" Two of our boys did not
stop when halted, but kept on running about
three miles till they came to little church,
thinking they were going toward our reserve,
which was not more than half q mile distant.
We had hard work TO make the boys believe
we had seen any rebels.
The next day seven Of Us got permission Of
our Captain to 90 outside Of our pcket-line to
get some fresh pork where we had seen some
swine. When we began shooting at them
there were about 40 big and little in the drove,
and as the first shot was fired it took effect in
q hogs leg. The thought struck me that /
could run him down and get him, but he ran
clear across 20-acre lot before / caught up
with him. Then / shot and hit him in the
top Of the neck, and he lit out at 2:40 gait.
All this time the other boys were shooting in
the other edge of the field. They yelled at me
to stop shooting, as they had killed four. When
l got to them they had cut the dead ones in
two in the middle, and were running fence
stakes through each half, so we could get out of
there before the Johnnies could get to US, as we
were afraid they had been attracted by our
shooting. We had the hind half of good
sized hog left and only one man to carry it.
As Serg't Goodell was a large, stout man ne
told us he could carry it alone if we would set
it on his shoulders, so he could hang on to its
hind legs-W. w. IRISH, Corporal, Co. B, 10th
n. Y. Cav, West Falls, n. Y.